Anthrax: it is eternal
Photo: Julia PYKHALOVA
The Voronezh region has become the third focus of anthrax in Russia in the last six months. In March the disease was detected in Chuvashia, at the beginning of July it became known of four infected in Tuva. Now anthrax has been found in a resident of the village of Krasnye Holmy, who killed an infected heifer in her backyard. According to the Voronezh Region Veterinary Administration, an anthrax-infected citizen hid his cow from routine examination by veterinarians and did not allow the calf to be vaccinated. After dismembering the animal’s carcass, he sold the infected meat to strangers who were “identified” and “operational measures” were taken with them, according to the VKontakte page of the Voronezh Region Veterinary Administration. The “1000 trifles” market became the second focus of the spread of anthrax in the region.
Once is an accident, twice is a trend, and three is a pattern? Why have cases of anthrax outbreaks in Russia become more frequent and how can you contract this very serious bacterial infection? Vladimir Nikiforov, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor, Head of the Department of Infectious Diseases of the Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, told Komsomolskaya Pravda.
On the territory of Russia there are a large number of dangerous zones for anthrax, the expert notes.
– Anthrax is eternal – says Vladimir Nikiforov. – If once, say, in the annals it was mentioned that a cow died of anthrax in a certain area, then even today this place will be considered an epidemiologically dangerous focus of anthrax, since the causative agent of this disease can be formed. Extremely resistant to external conditions spores that are indestructible at temperatures from -50 to + 50. Anthrax spores can stay in the soil for 100, 200 and 300 years and wait in the wings.
Every year in Russia between 2 and 10 cases of anthrax are recorded among people, the expert says. At the time of the Soviet Union, at the expense of the Central Asian republics, the figures reached 50 cases of infection per year.
Anthrax is a classic zoonotic infection that is transmitted from animal to animal, and humans are accidentally introduced into this chain while tending livestock, slaughtering the carcasses of slaughtered animals, and eating contaminated meat and other animal products.
– Anthrax does not pass through intact skin, microtrauma is needed for infection, therefore the disease manifests itself, as a rule, with ulcers on the hands. If, for example, you scratch your upper eyelid with dirty hands, ulcers will also appear there, says the expert.
The main prevention of the spread of anthrax is vaccination according to epidemiological indications, compliance with sanitary and veterinary regulations for working with animals in areas where outbreaks of the disease have already occurred.
– All recent outbursts are one more confirmation of Karamzin’s phrase that the severity of Russian laws is compensated by the non-obligation of their application. It is forbidden to slaughter a sick animal without veterinary supervision, but it happens that the animal is slaughtered “in secret” and then they try to sell the meat somewhere on the sidelines, says the expert.
– Vladimir Vladimirovich, it turns out that for a resident of a big city the risk of getting anthrax is minimal?
“It is true, but if a resident of a big city participates in the slaughter of a sick animal somewhere in the village, the risk of infection will immediately increase. Or, let’s say, if you buy hand-knitted camel wool socks somewhere in Central Asia, and camels get anthrax, then there is also a risk of getting an infection, because you don’t know which camel this wool was taken from.
– How can the risk of individual outbreaks becoming epidemics be assessed?
– Anthrax is not transmitted from person to person, so the risk of an epidemic is zero. Common cutaneous anthrax is easily treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics. The pulmonary form of anthrax poses a particular danger to life, and such an infection can be caused artificially, anthrax exists in the form of biological weapons in rogue countries, but it is almost impossible to become infected with anthrax when coming into contact with a patient. says Vladimir Nikiforov.
